Bo Jackson on football risk: 'I would have never played'

The Heisman Trophy winner and NFL Professional Bowler, who additionally had a baseball profession, would have by no means performed soccer if he had recognized extra in regards to the well being dangers, he mentioned within the interview, which revealed Thursday.

"If I knew again then what I do know now,'' Jackson instructed USA At present Sports activities, "I'd have by no means performed soccer. By no means. I want I had recognized about all of these head accidents, however nobody knew that. And the people who did know that, they would not inform anyone.

"The sport has gotten so violent, so tough. We're a lot extra educated on this CTE stuff (continual traumatic encephalopathy), there is not any approach I'd ever enable my children to play soccer in the present day."

The mind can shake contained in the cranium every time the top will get hit, which may set off the buildup of an irregular protein within the mind referred to as tau, resulting in progressive degeneration of mind tissue.

In March, the NFL publicly acknowledged a connection between soccer and CTE.

"I feel that the NFL has a accountability -- one may say an obligation -- to essentially deal with participant well being and recreation security. And by doing so, it could have a watershed impact on soccer, reaching into the NCAA and down into youth soccer. However I feel the watershed impact extends to all sports activities and can have an effect on women and men, so I feel that is a very good factor," Dr. Betsy Nabel, the NFL's chief well being and medical adviser, instructed CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta in a 2015 interview.

"Any contact sport goes to have a danger of harm. We see that, for instance, in girls's soccer," she mentioned. "I feel what's essential is realizing the best way to play the sport proper, realizing the best way to play the sport safely. For those who perceive the easiest way to sort out, in the event you've obtained good tools in place and you understand how to acknowledge accidents, then you are going to know the best way to play the sport as safely as attainable. "

Certainly, athletes from different sports activities, equivalent to boxing, soccer, and rugby, can also undergo CTE. Final 12 months, US soccer participant Brandi Chastain introduced that she plans to donate her mind to Boston College for CTE analysis.

Many athletes from different sports activities have made that very same dedication together with three-time Olympic gold-medal swimmer Nancy Hogshead-Makar and NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr.

CTE could cause Alzheimer's like signs. They'll embody cognitive impairment, impulsive habits, melancholy, reminiscence loss, issue planning or finishing up duties, emotional instability, substance abuse, and suicidal ideas, in line with the Mayo Clinic.

Out of 94 ex-NFL gamers' brains which were studied to this point on the US Division of Veterans Affairs and Boston College, 90 have been recognized with CTE, in line with the Concussion Legacy Basis.

Legendary sportscaster and Corridor of Famer Frank Gifford, who died in 2015 of pure causes on the age of 84, is amongst a number of the gamers recognized with CTE -- in addition to Corridor of Famer and San Diego Charger Junior Seau, who killed himself in 2012 on the age of 43, former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Fred McNeill who died at 63, and former Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler who died at 69.

"Sadly the one definitive option to decide CTE is with an post-mortem," mentioned Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent.

Though, as reported by CNN final 12 months, McNeill is believed to be the primary individual recognized earlier than demise with CTE. His analysis was confirmed by an post-mortem after he died.

"There's a variety of work now centered on attempting to pinpoint biomarkers and mind imaging that may probably result in a analysis when a participant continues to be alive -- and hopefully that may additionally result in new therapies. At the moment there isn't any option to deal with the illness," Gupta mentioned. "The one factor we all know is that it is a results of repeated hits to the top, and if we minimize down that publicity, which will assist."

Bo Jackson is not the one former athlete to weigh in on the mind harm dangers of soccer.

Final 12 months, former NFL large receiver Antwaan Randle El instructed the Pittsburgh Put up-Gazette that he regrets taking part in soccer and may really feel his thoughts slipping.

"If I may return, I would not," he mentioned. "I'd play baseball."

In 2015, former NFL defensive finish Neil Smith instructed 610 Sports activities Radio in Kansas Metropolis that he regrets taking part in soccer on account of well being issues and if "he needed to do it another time, in all probability not."

Chris Borland, a former rookie linebacker within the NFL, retired early from the sport in 2015 citing considerations about mind accidents.

In 2013, former NFL working again Tony Dorsett was recognized with indicators of CTE in a preliminary examine and he instructed CNN's Wolf Blitzer, "I am unable to put a value on my well being."

In an effort to make the game safer, the NFL appointed Nabel to her submit in 2015.